Group stages are over. Jermaine Jones and Gooch survived to move on to the Round of 16 in Champions League, both winning their groups. Kleijstan and Parkhurst were knocked out of Europe completely, both losing their groups.

Jones has been consistent and aggressive. The games that I've seen him play this year have been his best performances outside of that one game when he captained the USA kids (can't remember the opponent). I know that he's getting on in age, but he may be our most consistent player. He always looks comfortable no matter who he's playing. He goes up against Europe's best regularly, and I can't ever remember seeing him play poorly.

Gooch is getting some playing time which is pretty cool. I must admit that I don't really watch La Liga except for the occasional Classico, so I don't really know what's going on with him in league play, but he started two Champions league games, both after Malaga had clinched advancement. He also came on as a sub in garbage time of one game. He would really have to turn his career around at Malaga to get another serious National Team look. The last 2 or 3 games that he's played for USA he's literally been the worst player on the field. If he becomes a starter for Malaga and keeps them near the top of the La Liga table we may see him get involved before 2014, but I seriously think his time is up.

Kleijstan has played well against some really tough teams. I would love to see him get more time with the Nats and maybe become a regular starter after this World Cup cycle.

Parkhurst has been awesome. Don't let the -18 goal differential fool you. Parkhurst has been one of the best defenders in the group stage. He will almost certainly be sold to a bigger club either in January or next season. He is way to good to play on a team that got facerocked that bad. Every time someone writes an article about what is our back line going to do when Boca and Cherundelo retire? The answer is Parkhurst. He's going to do things.

In Europa Cherundelo, Yelldell, Dempsey, and Friedel are the only ones who made it through. Alejandro Bedoya, Terrence Boyd, Josh Gatt, and Mixx Diskerud are out.

Cherundelo was no surprise. He's the captain of one of Germany's best teams. He easily led his team through.

Yelldell probably won't factor much in Lever's plans for the knockout rounds. He hasn't played at all in Champions League, and best I can figure is the 3rd or maybe even 4th keeper on the depth chart. I don't expect to see him suit up for the National team, as he's probably USA's 10th best keeper, or lower. I'd put him behind every other American keeper in Europe as well as a hand full of MLS keepers.

I can't figure out what Spurs are going to do with Friedel or what his future holds. He's retired from the National Team, so it doesn't really matter much for the purposes of this thread, but still. He's the number 2 keeper now behind Lloris. Does he stay at Tottenham as a number 2? Does he retire? Sign with another club? I hope that they at least give him the Europa matches through the rest of the competition.

Dempsey has looked a lot different with Spurs. At Fulham he was the centerpiece of their entire offensive game plan. At Tottenham he's not nearly as essential. He's still getting playing time, but he doesn't seem to ooze that Dempsey swagger that he did last year and still does when playing for USA.

I didn't see any of the matches of the four Americans who went out, but of them Bedoya seemed to have the best stats. He played all six games for Helsingborg and scored in the last two. Boyd played most of the games, as both a sub and starter and scored one goal in a losing effort. I don't remember seeing Mixx or Gatt score, but all four were playing for far inferior teams almost every week. I don't think any of them have seen the last of continental competition.

Dempsey has been much, much better. He's had three assists in three games and is getting more involved in the attack. He's played some real killer through-balls. He also should've had a goal today, it bounced off the keeper on a deflection off of the crossbar.

edit: With Friedel I think he stays with Spurs for the remainder of this year. I heard a rumor that AVB wants him as a coach next year so we'll see

He's been playing great, but what I meant was that he's not as indispensable as he was to Fulham. They have enough weapons that he doesn't have to play like a superhero every match. He has been asked to do a lot less and has much more space to do it in. But he's not going to score 23 goals this year.

Well sunuvabitch. I couldn't watch the game, but I was tracking it on a scorekeeping app and it told me it was a Dempsey goal. I got all confused looking in here, and now I check and it's changed. I'm sad now.

Makes sense. The ESPN score center had given him a goal, but the final score was 3-1 not 4-1. I had to cross check with other stat sites just to make sure. I had the game on my DVR but If I had watched it I wouldn't have been able to get this thread up until this morning. It already felt super late.